Personal Training Certification Decision

I tossed the leftover vegetables with some quinoa and eventually ended up flaking the salmon with a fork and stirring everything together for a big, messy plate of yummy food.

The best part was that I assembled my plate in less than five minutes, thanks to the leftovers and the batch of quinoa I prepared in advance on Sunday evening. A little prep work goes a long way when it comes to throwing meals together in a flash. I felt like I was eating dinner!

Personal Training Certification Decision

I have a pretty big decision to make. As I told you guys last week when I talked about my Fitness Bucket List, I would like to get my personal training certification.

I’ve been researching various certifications for some time now and put out a call on the PBF Facebook page today looking for your certification recommendations since I know many of you are already certified personal trainers working in the industry.

A bunch of you guys weighed in with feedback about what certification you think I should go with, based on the knowledge it provides, the comprehensive nature of the certification and the credibility. I was happy to see that NASM, my current front-runner, received a lot of positive feedback. (If you’re interested in becoming a personal trainer, definitely check out the comments on the PBF Facebook page. Lots of good stuff!)

Now that I’ve basically made up my mind about the certification I wish to pursue, I am ready to take the plunge!

I registered for my CPR/AED certification next week, a requirement by NASM to receive my personal training certification. I was a lifeguard for several years in high school and hope the knowledge comes flooding back to me.

If you’re a personal trainer and have any words of wisdom for me as I begin the certification journey, I’d love to hear your advice!

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About Julie

My name is Julie and I am a full-time blogger, new mama, fitness enthusiast (certified personal trainer and group exercise instructor) and food fanatic (mostly healthy... but also not-so-healthy) living in North Carolina with my husband, dog and baby boy. Thank you for visiting Peanut Butter Fingers! I hope you enjoy little glimpses into my life and have fun trying the sweaty workouts I frequently share and making some of my favorite recipes along the way!

Comments

Well I don’t “know” you personally, but I am proud of you. I love hearing about other people pursuing their dreams and goals and I KNOW you are going to do great. I look forward to hearing about the process to be honest.

So timely for me! I spent hours last week trying to decide between ACE and NASM. I read so many posts/blogs on the subject and kept waffling back and forth. There are so many different opinions out there. I’ve almost purchased the ACE materials a hundred times since last week but after reading your FB posts, I may go for NASM instead. Can’t wait to hear what you decide.

My advice is to find a mentor, or many mentors that can help you become a trainer. In my experience the certification ensures that you know what you need to know, but actually teaching and working with people is very different.

I feel very, very fortunate to have a number of great people that I can learn from!

Yey! Congrats Julie! NASM is an awesome certification to go with. The online support is unbeatable and you can pretty much call up the headquarters at any point with questions that you have regarding the material.

Good luck with everything! I’m excited to hear what you think of the whole process because it’s something that I’ve been interested in for a while now but haven’t pursued yet…Do you know what you want to do exactly with it once you’re certified?

If you have not purchased your testing date for NASM, and have not looked into ACSM (American College of Sports Medicine), definitely look into ACSM – it is considered the “gold standard” and cost me less $$ than NASM. They also have one step above personal training, called a Health and Fitness Specialist, which I have been considering on taking the test for in the near future – it is really cool, because it allows you to work with a larger variety of populations.
ALSO, I saw it mentioned on here by a few people, and definitely take it from someone who learned the brutal hard way, personal training is considered a sales job – if you venture into the gym setting for a job position, be prepared to sell hard for outrageous prices. My best advice: interview/shadow a PRIVATE personal trainer for a week, and learn their training style as well as marketing style. If you work for a gym, you will only get 30% of what each session costs. I used to work for Crunch Fitness in West Hollywood last year, and was forced to sell sessions for $100 / hr, and I literally got paid $35 for each session. Definitely proceed with caution, and I say this because I too was so excited to begin training after I finished college and help others reach their health and fitness goals, and let’s just say I had NO idea the stress and exhaustion I was about to put myself through.
Honestly – you are more than likely much better off getting a cert in group fitness – less pressure to sell individually.
best of luck, and feel free to contact me if you have any questions — I have a pretty decent amount of experience within this field.

Have fun:) I got my certifications through NCSF which I love! They have a super helpful team and lots of resources on their website for trainers. It is also super super comprehensive! The test is 300 questions and is more into the actual muscle/body mechanics instead of just how to make a training program, which other certifications can be. Also look into how many continuing education credits you need to get and how long you have to get them and what classes will qualify for credits. Florida mania is held in Orlando every year and you can get continuing education credits toward your pt certification plus your group training certs:)

you are a kd, right?! I thought I saw you in the Angelo’s a while back and just found you through a pinterest link. Good for you!, I have a personal training company called FoxyBody Fitness and also have NASM. They are great! Let me know if you need anything on your journey 🙂 I love to support other kappa deltas!

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Hi! I’m Julie and I am a mom to two energetic boys and a personal trainer and blogger living in Charlotte, North Carolina. Welcome to my blog! Peanut Butter Fingers follows my life and my interests in food, fitness, family, travel and (mostly) healthy living.

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I am not a registered dietitian. My blog is simply a documentation of my life. The views I express are mine alone, based on my own experiences, and should not be taken as medical advice. I DO NOT post everything I eat. Though I am a certified personal trainer, the workouts I post may not be right for you. Please speak with a medical professional before making any changes to your current routine.

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